SHOPPING
“Take me to the Houston Galleria” is a request often repeated in Houston. When it first opened in 1970, it set the standard for high-end shopping and remains Houston’s No. 1 shopping and tourist destination. The venerated shopping mall solidly has established the city as one of the best destinations to get a stylish new wardrobe. Retailers include Neiman Marcus, Cartier, Gucci, two Macy’s stores, Tiffany & Co., Saks Fifth Avenue, Ralph Lauren Collection, Louis Vuitton and Houston’s only Nordstrom. A city within a city, there’s also an ice skating rink and many exclusive boutiques, including Kate Spade, Michael Kors, Giorgio Armani and Christian Dior.

Undoubtedly, the mecca of Houston shopping, with a reputation countrywide, is the Houston Galleria. However, the Greater Houston area as a whole offers many types of shopping experiences at many locations in the city and suburban areas. To make these excursions easy to navigate, shopping centers located throughout the region usually are situated near major highways for convenient access. Below is a sampling of major shopping areas listed by general geographic location.

— Popular Shopping Districts
The Montrose District is an area bordered by Allen Parkway, U.S. 59, Bagby Street and Shepherd Drive. Here the theme is eclectic, bordering on funky. Secondhand stores with unique offerings are a draw. Near Rice University, the Texas Medical Center and the Museum District is Rice Village, one of Houston’s oldest shopping districts. Within 12 city blocks, you’ll find more than 325 boutiques, family-owned businesses and big-name stores. New to downtown is Houston Pavilions, a $170 million mixed-use development with retail shops for clothing, books, accessories and a variety of dining options. Along Kirby Drive and Westheimer Road, you’ll find the Upper Kirby District that offers a tasteful selection of restaurants, bookstores and shops. A few miles from downtown is the River Oaks Shopping Center, considered the oldest shopping center in Texas and the second oldest in the nation. The entire, multi-block center is original Art Deco style and still maintains its elegance.

Situated in a cluster not far from the Galleria are several interesting shopping stops. There is the Post Oak Shopping District along Post Oak Boulevard between Westheimer Road and Loop 610. There’s also the Centre at Post Oak on the corner of Westheimer Road and Post Oak Boulevard. Across from the Centre is a shopping center anchored by The Container Store and other retail stores in between. At 1800 Post Oak Boulevard is The Pavilion on Post Oak, which features more than 20 of Houston’s most elegant shops, such as Hermès of Paris and Esther Wolf. South of the Galleria on Westheimer Road is the very popular Highland Village Shopping Center, another of Houston’s oldest places to shop until you drop. Here you’ll find many trendy chains, including Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma. With the feel of Tuscany, UptownPark at the corner of Post Oak Boulevard and Loop 610 offers upscale shops, boutiques and cafés.

— Regional Hotspots
CITYCENTRE is a thoughtfully planned and meticulously executed self-contained community of sophisticated retail, elegant dining, penthouse residences, luxurious brownstones and lofts, upscale apartments and the 244-room Hotel Sorella, a world-class hospitality and conference facility. Located in West Houston and surrounded by European-style open-air plazas, CITYCENTRE is home to Life Time Athletic, a state-of-the-art urban fitness facility and spa, and Studio Movie Grill, a nine-screen premier cinema. Thirty miles north of Houston is the master-planned community of The Woodlands, home to great shopping in the area, including The Woodlands Mall, which that features Macy’s, Dillard’s and Sears along with many boutiques including Sephora, Forever 21 and Ann Taylor. Twenty miles north of Houston, which is only minutes from the center of town, is Old Town Spring, a must-visit locale if you love antiques and old-world charm. Located near the original railyards built in the 1900s by Great Northern Railroad, the more than 150 Victorian-style shops offer antiques, collectibles, clothing and accessories for home and gifts. Southeast of Houston and on the way to Galveston is Kemah, once a sleepy fishing village that now boasts a 30-acre waterfront theme-park site devoted to waterfront dining, attractions and shopping. The specialty shops include Christmas at Kemah (with Christmas ornaments, gifts and home decor), Kemah Outfitters and The Toy Crossing, a children’s store.

— Outlet Shopping
Houston Premium Outlets is located approximately 30 miles northwest of downtown off of US 290. It’s guaranteed to attract many who seek chic looks at a discount. Among the 145 stores include Hurley, Banana Republic, Burberry, BCBG Max Azria and Calvin Klein. Katy Mills Mall, located 25 miles west of downtown on Interstate 10, is a 1.3-million-square-foot shopping and entertainment complex housing more than 200 of the best names in manufacturer and retail outlets, off-price retailers and unique specialty stores. In addition, Conroe Outlet Center, north of Houston on Interstate 45, has 60 top-name and designer stores, unique one-of-a-kind shops and special seasonal outlet stores. Factory Stores of America, between Houston and Galveston on Interstate 45, offers more than 40 outlet stores.